I have to tell you the sad tale of my camera. I have a couple of nice Nikon cameras but I rarely use them because I’m such an irresponsible photographer. Vince buys last year’s models of the little pocket type point and shoot cameras online and he gets them for little to nothing, which is a good thing because I go through 3 or 4 or more cameras per year. In July, we both got new cameras. I doubt he’s ever used his and I take probably 50 or more pictures most every day. My camera is always with me. What’s worse . . buying a camera and never using it or ruining a camera a couple of times a year?
Tonight as I was leaving the sewing room, I had two boxes — a box with Ila’s quilt and a box with a gift for Nicole’s grandparents; I had my iPod, I had the RTV keys, I had a Dr. Pepper and I had my camera. I only have two hands you know! The Dr. Pepper was in my hand, the iPod was in my other hand, the boxes were cradled in my arms with the camera, iPod and keys on top of the boxes. The camera slid off . . on the tile floor and . . it works no more.
I told Vince I had ruined another camera. He did his obligatory grumbling, and said he would give me his since he never uses it. I think he buys two just because he knows how quickly I go through them. But, he was busy so I grabbed an older camera that somehow I had not ruined . . it must have been one of Vince’s rejects because I can’t remember ever having a camera that still works when I get done with it. I took a bunch of pictures . . the chickens, the grill getting delivered, the grill getting put together, the cows, the sunset, and Sally’s new sleeping quarters . . only to find that none of the computers read the old Sony memory sticks and I cannot find an adapter. It’s been years since I used an adapter so . . lots of photos will never be seen.
Now I just had to tell him that I’ve ruined two memory cards this week because they were in my pocket when I washed my jeans. It’s a darned good think I can cook and sew and apparently do a few other things that interest him! 🙂
Someday if you don’t hear from me again, you’ll know that Vince has taken all my electronics away.
Susan says
Oh, you make me smile. I had a Kodak 7440 when Paul bought his Nikon D50. I took 15,000 pictures with that before it just died from overuse. I loved that camera. It’s such a waste for me to have Paul’s, but it would be a waste for me to spend money on a little one. I still have my card reader from Radio Shack that reads 4 different sizes of cards. Is that what you mean?
Sharon says
Oh Judy, I love your blog and all your stories. I just had to laugh, I saw where this story was going, sorry about the issues with the camera’s and the memory cards.
Happy Holidays!
JudyL says
The sad thing is . . that won’t be the last camera I ruin. I’m usually not bad about dropping things but I have dropped more cameras in the last few years than you’d believe. Sometimes they survive, and sometimes they don’t.
Kim says
I wash my husband’s memory stick all the time and it still works someday I won’t be so lucky.
JudyL says
Every now and then one of mine survives the wash but for the most part, they do not.
Michelle says
It’s better to have them and use them. When we were climbing around on the rocks in Arches this summer, my daughter put her camera in her pocket because it was banging against things when she used the wrist strap. Perfectly responsible idea…until she got to the top of the arch and it slipped out. That cheap little Kodak fell at least seventy-five feet, bouncing off slick rock the whole way down. The batteries fell out and it got a couple of scratches…
I can’t believe it still works as good as it ever did.
Kay Sorensen says
Love Vinces idea of buying cameras.
I think I’ll buy a dupolicate of the camera I love.
lynne quinsland says
i have a nice olympus that is way beyond my skill level of use. i have a good artistic eye, but boy howdy that thing has more bells and whistles on it than i sure know what to do with, and by the time i finally get the darned thing to take a picture, i have totally missed the kodak moment. i am in desperate need of a simple point and shoot. my iphone has an awful camera, but i find i use that most of the time now. any tips from vince on a great deal/camera?
Alycia says
You know – you made my day!!! The other thing you should not wash is car clickers.. apparently the older ones for your farm trucks – they don’t like water Sigh….
Heres to a better tomorrow!!
CJ Tinkle says
I’ve yet to drop my litle point and shoot camera, but I drop and ruin cell phones quite often. I think that’s a subconcious thing, because I so dislike talking on the phone!
Marion Morgan says
Am I the only one interested in what else you do that Vince find of interest? My mind should not go there perhaps.
JudyL says
Use your imagination! 🙂
Carolyn says
I take pics w my Cell phone, my Ipad, and my point and shoot camera. I like all of them. Still DH is looking int obuying a $2000 camera! I don’t know. the Ipad takes great pics, I’m just not good enough to use the pics.
JudyL says
No way do I count on the cell phone and iPad for taking photos. If I have them with me and nothing else, I’ll use them but without a contract renewal, an iPhone is about $600 or more, same for the iPad. I never pay more than $50 for the point and shoot cameras and if I’m going to ruin something (and I know I am), it’s going to be the cheap camera.
Diana in RR TX says
Judy,
check Walmart-if they have the sony card the adapter comes with it. I can also check Precision Camera for you here in Austin.
Michelle says
You can probably get an adapter very inexpensively on Amazon, and the memory cards may actually be just fine. Put them in rice (or with some bags of that silica gel that comes in electronics) and when they’re totally dry try them again. There’s not a whole lot to them that can get ruined by water!
JudyL says
I could buy an adapter here at Wal-Mart but it isn’t worth the trouble. I only took a few pictures around here yesterday and I don’t need them.
I’ve washed plenty of memory sticks. Some survive and some do not. The one I washed Monday did not survive. If the water, soap and sometimes bleach isn’t enough, they go right through the dryer too usually.
Angie says
Judy, I never use my camera without the wrist strap or neck strap—it has saved me buying a camera many times.
KatieQ says
Judy I have a couple of adapters that I never use. Post a picture of the memory card so I know if one of our adapters fits. If it looks like a match, I mail one to you.
Janice says
I think you need to get a little wagon to carry things back and forth between the house and the sewing room!!!!